Vic Hadfield facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Vic Hadfield
Born	(1940-10-04) October 4, 1940 (age 84) Oakville, Ontario, Canada
Height	6 ft 0 in (183 cm)
Weight	174 lb (79 kg; 12 st 6 lb)
Position	Left Wing
Shot	Left
Played for	New York Rangers Pittsburgh Penguins
National team	Canada
Playing career	1959–1977

Victor Edward Hadfield is a famous Canadian ice hockey player who was born on October 4, 1940. He played professional hockey for 16 years in the National Hockey League (NHL). Most of his career, 13 years, was spent with the New York Rangers. He also played for the Pittsburgh Penguins for three years.

Early Hockey Days

Vic Hadfield started playing hockey in his hometown of Oakville, Canada. Later, he joined a team called the Dixie Bee Hives. He was then signed by the Chicago Black Hawks and sent to play for their junior team, the St. Catharines Teepees. This team was part of the Ontario Hockey League.

Vic was known for being a strong player who wasn't afraid to get into physical plays. He often had more penalty minutes than points. In the 1959–60 season, his team was very good. They had future NHL stars like Chico Maki and Roger Crozier. That year, Vic helped the Teepees win the Memorial Cup, which is a big championship for junior hockey teams.

After his junior career, Vic played for the Buffalo Bisons in the American Hockey League. In 1961, the New York Rangers picked him in a special draft.

Playing in the NHL

By the 1963–64 season, Vic Hadfield became a regular player for the New York Rangers. At first, he was known as an "enforcer," a player who would protect his teammates. But over time, he started to focus more on scoring goals.

He became part of a very famous line of players called the "GAG Line." This name stood for "Goal A Game" because they scored so many goals! Vic played alongside Jean Ratelle and Rod Gilbert. From the 1967–68 season onwards, Vic always scored at least 20 goals in every full season he played.

His Best Season

Vic Hadfield had his best season in 1971–72. He was named the team captain that year. He made history by becoming the first New York Rangers player to score 50 goals in a single season. Only five other NHL players had done this before him.

With his GAG Line teammates, Vic helped the Rangers score a total of 139 goals and earn 325 points that season. They made it all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals, which is the championship series of the NHL.

Moving to Pittsburgh

After his amazing 1971–72 season, the Rangers signed Vic to a big contract. This was to make sure he didn't leave to play in a new league called the World Hockey Association. However, his scoring went down a bit after that.

On May 28, 1974, Vic was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins. He continued to score well for the Penguins, getting 30 goals in each of his first two full seasons there. But he had some injuries and weight issues. Near the end of the 1975–76 season, a knee injury forced him to stop playing hockey.

Life After Hockey

When Vic Hadfield retired, he was one of the top players in New York Rangers history. He was fourth in goals, assists, and total points for the team. He was also second in penalty minutes and fourth in games played. Today, he is still ninth in scoring and third in penalty minutes for the Rangers.

Vic's younger brother, Carl, was also drafted by the Chicago Black Hawks in 1964.

After his hockey career, Vic Hadfield opened the Vic Hadfield Driving Range and instructional center in Oakville, Ontario.

In 2009, a book called 100 Ranger Greats ranked Vic Hadfield as the 20th best player in the history of the New York Rangers. This was out of 901 players who had played for the team over 82 seasons.

The New York Rangers honored Vic Hadfield by retiring his jersey number, #11, on December 2, 2018. This means no other Rangers player will ever wear that number again.

Playing for Canada

After his fantastic 1971–72 season, Vic Hadfield was chosen to play for Team Canada in the 1972 Summit Series. This was a special series of games against the Soviet Union. He played in only two games during the series. After some exhibition games in Sweden, he left the team and went home to Canada.

Family Life

Vic Hadfield's grandson, also named Victor Hadfield, is also an ice hockey player. He plays as a defenseman for the Indy Fuel in the ECHL. He has also played for the Barrie Colts in the OHL and the Manitoba Moose in the AHL.

Awards and Achievements

• OHA-Jr. first All-Star team (1960)
• NHL Second All-Star team (1972)
• Played in NHL All-Star Game (1965, 1972)

See also

• List of NHL players with 1000 games played
• List of NHL players with 100-point seasons